"Kōri!!!"
That was an eager, excited call—one uniquely belonging to Karura, carrying moisture, clinging to longing, as soft and warm as countless nights in Suna before.
Turning instinctively, Karura rushed over. Her movements weren't fast—probably from days of nonstop work in the medical corps, exhausted and weak.
But the force with which she threw herself into his arms was astonishingly strong, nearly knocking Hii Kōri off balance.
Karura's arms tightly encircled her lover's waist—separated for over a year—as if trying to merge with Hii Kōri completely.
She buried her face in his chest, nuzzling coquettishly, emitting short gasps that were both sobs and sighs, her sandy-brown short hair becoming tousled.
"...Kōri... I missed you so much..."
Hii Kōri hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and gently placed it on her back, which trembled slightly with her intense breathing. He simply tightened his arms, holding the girl on the verge of tears, his chin lightly resting on the top of her head.
"Me too..."
Even through the medical corps white coat and ninja wear, he could feel Karura seemed to have lost much weight.
Besides the hard work in the medical corps, probably also because she'd been worrying about him.
Feeling her moist breaths against his chest, Hii Kōri thought thus. If he couldn't sense his lover's feelings, he'd be a useless jujutsu sorcerer—one who generates power from emotions.
After a long while, Karura's breathing gradually calmed. She didn't look up, still leaning greedily against his chest, feeling her lover's heartbeat, as if trying to confirm his existence through this.
"The rain hasn't stopped yet. Let's go back to the room first."
Hii Kōri brushed the hair from her temples behind her ears, then gently pinched her earlobe.
"Mm..."
Obediently humming, Karura let Hii Kōri lift her, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, continuing to nuzzle against his neck.
Pushing open the door, casually dispersing a wave of heat to evaporate the room's dampness, Hii Kōri placed Karura on the bed, kissed her forehead lightly, and said: "Rest for now. I'll make some ginger tea."
"...Okay."
Genuinely quite exhausted, Karura responded obediently, shrugged off her rain-soaked coat, kicked off her ninja sandals, and curled up under the covers.
Soon, the scent of ginger tea filled through the room. Karura slipped on her sandals again and quietly ran to hug Hii Kōri from behind.
"Not resting more? Your shoulders are that stiff."
"No... I've waited too long. I want to be with Kōri now..."
Pressing tightly against his back, Karura's muffled voice carried a coquettish tone.
"Sorry for leaving you on other battlefronts for so long."
Covering Karura's hands clasped before him with one hand, Hii Kōri could feel those much slender hands were still somewhat cold.
"...It's not Kōri's fault. It's my own fault..."
Karura's voice became very, very soft, low and mixed with self-deprecation: "I'm too useless. Can't be like Pakura, fighting alongside you on the front lines..."
"I can only stay in the rear, hearing about the dangerous things you've done, unable to help at all..."
Her voice gradually choked up. The hands he covered unconsciously clenched.
As a medical ninja, Karura had completely realized during this war the fragility of life, the cruelty of the battlefield. The more she realized, the harder it was to imagine what deadly situations Hii Kōri had to cross over to achieve his consecutive new feats.
Even when she arrived at this front, expecting to reunite with Hii Kōri, she found he had again penetrated Konoha's front alone, without any word.
Karura knew he was doing this for his older brother. So she couldn't blame anyone. She could only wait in anguish, letting the vines of powerlessness and worry slowly sprout in her heart.
"I... I don't want this anymore. I want to become stronger. I want to help you by your side."
"I don't want to just weakly wait for you to return..."
Hii Kōri didn't interrupt Karura's increasingly agitated words. He quietly turned off the stove, turned around, and embraced the already teary-eyed girl, gently stroking her hair.
"Don't say such foolish things. Even Pakura, I wouldn't ask her to move with me on the battlefield."
He lifted the petite, light girl in his arms, drew close to her ear, and explained softly: "No matter how strong we are, we still worry about each other. Just like you now."
"Even knowing nothing's wrong, that care can unknowingly become an opening."
"But—"
"These hands of yours weren't made for taking lives, were they?"
Karura still hesitated, but Hii Kōri forcefully interrupted her again. He lightly bit her earlobe—not hard, but enough to make a thin blush appear on Karura's fair skin.
"If it's just for the reason 'to help me,' I won't teach you any ninjutsu. Nor will I let Pakura, or anyone in Suna, teach you. Since your hands are still unstained by blood, don't take this path for such a shallow reason."
"...You always say unpleasant things."
"This is the truth. 'Good medicine tastes bitter,' you "Know." Seeing Karura turn away in a sulk, her ear tips still red, Hii Kōri pinched her cheek, then his fingertips brushed her burning red earlobe.
"No matter how much you force yourself, you won't get used to killing. If I see you forcing yourself, do you think I'd be happy?"
"...Mm. I understand." Karura responded in a muffled voice, still thick with nasal tones.
Then, she turned her head—eyes still a bit red—and the effort showed a sensational smile, glistening with moisture: "But... Kōri has to promise me too: no more disappearing without any word like this time..."
"Mm...I'll try?"
"Just try?"
Little bunny obviously wasn't satisfied with this answer, but she also knew this was the maximum guarantee Hii Kōri could give—at least he was honest.
Unsure whether to be angry, Karura bit her lip, then lifted her lover's hand, placed it by her lips, and bit his thumb to vent dissatisfaction.
The softness of her lips and the smooth touch of her tongue covered the gentle nibbling, then transformed into words filled with love.
"Then... please hold me tight..."
Tonight, rain.
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